Essence of the Upanishads: A Key to Indian Spirituality

by Eknath Easwaran

Das Herzstück der indischen spirituellen Texte ist die Katha Upanischad. Sie erzählt den Dialog des jungen Helden Nachiketa, der auf der Suche nach Unsterblichkeit ins Totenreich vordringt. Er stellt dem Tod Fragen, die auf die Quintessenz menschlicher Existenz schlechthin zielen. Der bewunderte indische Philologe und Meditationsmeister Eknath Easwaran stellt die Katha Upanischad vor und deutet sie als Königsweg zur Erforschung der tiefsten Schichten der eigenen Persönlichkeit. Die Katha lehrt zeitlose Weisheit, die gerade heute Trost und spirituelle Führung spenden kann.

Genres: Spirituality, Philosophy, Religion, Nonfiction, Hinduism, Audiobook, Classics

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Eknath Easwaran (1910–1999) is the originator of passage meditation and the author of more than 30 books on spiritual living.

Easwaran is a recognized authority on the Indian spiritual classics. His translations of The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and The Dhammapada are the best-selling editions in the USA, and over 1.5 million copies of his books are in print.

Easwaran was a professor of English literature and well known in India as a writer and speaker before coming to the United States in 1959 on the Fulbright exchange program. In 1961, he founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, based in Tomales, California, which continues his work today through publications and retreats.

His 1968 class on the theory and practice of meditation at UC Berkeley is believed to be the first accredited course on meditation at any Western university. For those who seek him as a personal spiritual guide, Easwaran assured us that he lives on through his eight-point program of passage meditation.

"I am with you always”, he said. “It does not require my physical presence; it requires your open heart."

Please visit bmcm.org for a fuller biography.

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the simplest explanations of Upanishads I have read in my life. Eknath Easwaran will explain to you the essence of the Vedas and 108 Upanishads in a way palatable to everyone by giving importance to its philosophical and spiritual aspects in this book.



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[Tandava Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book, but didn't seem to be quite what I thought it was going to be. Easwaran goes through the story of the Katha Upanishad in the first two chapters, with commentary and spiritual interpretation, which is more or less what I expected. Then the following 10 chapters seem to be his own representation of the spiritual path, without much reference back to the source text.

His perspective seems to focus on the "problem" of the spiritual path -- how we can't be truly happy following our desires and thinking the physical world is our true reality. He briefly describes his meditation practice, but without any formal instruction. The goal of it seems to appear mostly as a contrast to our current state, and as a better way of living in this world, rather than taking us all the way to nirbikalpa samadhi and complete freedom from this world.

That said, what he does, he does very well. His writing is fun and engaging, with lots of amusing personifications of mental qualities, etc.

At the end of the book is the complete (I assume?) Katha Upanishad, by itself. And admittedly, there's not a lot to the story, so what we got in the first two chapters was basically the plot. The bulk of it is a monologue by Death, rather along the lines of Krishna's teachings in the Bhagavad Gita. I think perhaps most of chapters 3-12 did relate to verses in this section, but if so, I think it would have worked better to follow along more explicitly.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often the search for meaning starts with a sense of restlessness that can carry us all over the earth. We soon realize the outer world has boundaries, but the mind is boundless. There is a vast world waiting within the mind, and time and space have very little meaning in its realms. The best comparison is the sea: its surface is constantly changing yet deep below are mountains larger than the Himalayas, gorges deeper than the Grand Canyon, creatures that spend their life where light has never penetrated. An oceanographic vehicle is used to descend deep into the sea, to seek out its secrets with instruments and searchlights. Meditation is the vehicle we use to explore the depths of our mind, to take the light of consciousness deeper and deeper until the whole of the mind is illumined from surface to seabed.

[Monty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though there is humor sprinkled amongst the text, this is not a book of light reading. Actually, in a mostly clear, organized way, the author starts with the Hindu/Buddhist premise that there is no birth or death because the true self exists in its own right and is separate from the physical body. So when a person dies, the self continues and typically joins with a new body around the time of its birth. From what I gather, the goal in life is to join with the eternal self, which is no easy matter since there is ego, mind, earthly pleasures and more that serve to get us off course. The book describes these attributes and proposes how one can go about deciding against the temptations of life and pursuing the true self. There are special meditations that assist with this, but these are in another book by the author. I made a small yet significant gain last week when I started going against the inertia of procrastination and taking care of some things that I had been putting off. Yes, it is a small gain, yet it is in the direction of not letting myself be controlled by avoidance.

[Sandhya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally simple! I have read other works of Eknath Easwaran and have found his writings so lucid that explains complex concepts in an exceptionally simple way. The book brings out the essence of Katha Upanishad, one of the primary Upanishads and the most read one. The book is not necessarily structured in the same way but nonetheless the themes are definitely retained. I quote the themes just for a reference.
1.The son questions his father
2.The theory of good versus dear
3.Atman exists, the theory of Yoga and the essence of Vedas
4.The parable of the chariot
5.The nature of Atman, need for ethics and the hierarchy of Reality
4.The theory of Atman, Oneness and Plurality
5.Life is highest joy, and what happens after death
6.The theory of Yoga
7.Realize you are perfect now and here.

[Deeparnak Bhowmick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected when I picked up the book, this book takes up the Katha Upanishad as a primary premise and discusses it in the first couple of chapters of the book. The rest of the book is the author's own experiences and philosophies that he has learnt in the course of his spiritual journey.

Nevertheless, it is a captivating read - It covers the more complex aspects of spirituality and meditation in a very simplified and relatable way. This book is recommended to anyone who is genuinely interested into understanding the broader aspects of spirituality and meditation.

[Kreeti Shakya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts with a story from Katha Upanishad about Nachiketa and continues with the author's elaboration on the essence of Upanishad. The book presents many valuable points about what the Upanishad says. However, I was disappointed by the fact that the story-telling that started in the first two chapters was replaced by essay like structure in the rest of the lesson. All in all, the book is a good read - simple to understand and filled with humor and metaphors. I just wished the story that began in the first two lessons would have continued throughout the book.

[Rajyasree · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word to describe this book is "Enlightening". Indeed it is a guide to discover our true Self.It starts off with story of Nachiketha and unfolds the mystic side of sojourn of the Self.I recommend it to anyone who wants to experience the journey of self-discovery.The book is profound and has a lasting impact.

[Aarti Iyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome
Sprituality and such a complex subject explained so well

[Collin Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the single best analyses of Indian thought and scripture. Life changing.

[Ravi Raman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this over a period of time, and it soaked in deeper. Some of the Upanishads are fanciful and metaphysical, while others seem more practical. After a full reading, it seems that the range of nature in writing was purposeful. After all, how else to appeal to so many people with varying tastes? The presence of talking animals and lore-filled tales have their place. The commentary and intro/conclusion sections are very enlightening. I have a feeling I will be reading this book many more times.

You might be wondering why I would rate such an epic collection of works, a basis for the Hindu and other South-Asian spiritual teachings, as a 4-star vs a 5-star review???? The Upanishads are not the easiest works to understand. Some passages are, while others aren't. Some are fanciful and storylike (featuring talking animals!), some are cryptic, and all are poetic. Therefore, it's the descriptions provided by the author that holds the value. Those descriptions are very good, but unlike the Bhagavad Gita, which is more intelligible (though still poetic and in need of translation), it's harder to parse given where my head is at right now. With re-reads over the years, perhaps I would rate this even more highly.

[Santaraksita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words cannot express the wisdom that lies in this book. The book gives a very concise overview of the key concepts in the Upanishads in a clear and scientific way without bringing in too many terminologies. The author has done a great service by reinterpreting the Upanishads in the modern context so that once again Upanishads can be lived in our daily lives. The book contents are only 10-15% theory. The rest is filled with interesting stories, anecdotes, observations from the modern as well as the near past.
My only complain with respect to the book is that it idolizes Gandhi as a spiritually perfected being. Far from it, he was an opportunistic politician, in my view. But given the fact that his name only occurs in passing 2-3 times as an example, my review shouldn't be affected by 2-3 sentences in the entire book.
In conclusion, it is a book well worth the read for anyone who has an interest in India, Indian Philosophy, philosophy, meditation or life in general.

[Victor N · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not what I expected. I was hoping for a detailed description of the Upanishads, this is a very loose description. However, Eknath Easwaran was a great writer and the imagery in this book are even better than usual.

Though it has elements of a self help book, it is still really well done and a worthwhile read. This book would be especially good for two types of people:
1. Those who know the Upanishads well and simply want a good way to see their implications in today’s world.
2. Those who don’t know the stories and are not interested in the specifics, but are still curious to know how those stories can help them in their lives today.

I am not in either camp, I want to understand the specific writings and how they affected the ancient world. I am not so interested in implementing them in my own life. So I gave this 4 rather than 5 stars.

[Juan Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

In religions rituals are perhaps the things that most distance us from the encounter with the divine.

And all religions in the mystical aspect have much to teach.

Personally, Hinduism catches my attention, because it is the beginning of human spirituality.

Because of their antiquity the Upanishads are perhaps the oldest sacred books of any religion. And the book "Essence of the Upanishads: A Key to Indian Spirituality" by Eknath Easwaran; It contains your basic ideas.

The book praises meditation for the encounter with the divine. Personally I think it is one of many methods, there are others, but personally meditation is what I use.

Meditating at least 45 minutes a day is already a norm of life, and I believe it creates benefits in physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

[Aran Chandran · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a guide into the subject, the author is very eloquent in providing contemporary metaphors and pulling from eastern and western literature to provide an excellent primer.

There’s a lot of concepts and some sections probably requires rereading and contemplation before moving on to the next subject.

Personally I feel the subject tries too hard to convince the reader of the potential to avoid death by trying to be one with divinity. It’s probably the only section that I found non practical and not beneficial (shreya) to the world. But perhaps I need a teacher that can explain it better.

I’m happy to use the other teachings and concepts in a practical sense for daily living. And that’s 90% of the book.

[Cris Walrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is writen by a man who was born in the Eastern philosphy culture but understand the dificulty others from the West would have with the original text (symbolism, identities, etc.). He does a wonderful job without trying to "convert" and one can safely say the ideas in this are universal to all religions.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really Powerful Insights To The Upanishads

[J. Maximilian Jarrett II · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, very clear, insightful and inspiring presentation of the core teachings of a global spiritual classic. Highly recommended!

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have read.

[Deep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ancient wisdom in a good translation.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

spiritual distillation of Upanishads

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to begin understanding the Upanashads.

[Mushatori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dope

[Pinar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitabın ilk iki bölümü Katha Upanişad ile başlıyor, daha sonraki bölümler basitleştirilmiş olarak yazarın çeşitli upanişadlardan ve spritüel çalışmalardan anladıklarının açıklaması. Rahibe Teresa'dan Mevlana'ya, oradan Buddha'ya bir çok kişiye ve gündelik hayattaki olaylara değiniliyor. Doğrusu bu aradaki kısım benim için biraz hayal kırıklığı oldu. Kitaba upanişad çevirisi olarak başlamıştım. Aradaki konuya uzak insanlar için çok faydalı olacağını düşündüğüm uzun açıklama kısımlarından sonra yine Katha Upanişad'a dönüp hikaye kaldığı yerden sona bağlanıyor.

[Kierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, this book was not exactly what I expected, since I was anticipating a more academic interpretation of the particular Upanishad in question, given that Easwaran is the translator of most of the preferred English translations of classical Indian literature. That said, it was a surprisingly accessible and practical approach to Indian mysticism/spirituality, and I ended up enjoying it far more than I thought I would.

[Ghila Pan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die Upanishaden, eine Sammlung philosophischer indischer Schriften, niedergeschreiben zwischen 700 und 200 vor Christus befassen sich mit den wesentlichen Fragen nach dem Ursprung und der Bestimmung des Menschen. Easwaran schreibt dazu eine für den westlichen Leser gut verständliche Einführung. Seine Übersetzung lässt ein Lichtblick aufblitzen, auch für Hardcore-Europäer.

[Joni Tuomialho · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I disagree on some parts of the metaphysics, this works well as a work of philosophy and psychology, and is both useful for someone who wants to understand Eastern thought and for someone who wants to reconcile it with Western thought. Easwaran is perhaps my favourite interpreter of these texts due to his capacity to not only show the text in full clarity to a westerner, but due to his ability to show the universality of the text.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a preparation for my yoga teacher training and it felt like everything was finally coming into pieces. A lot of things that I’ve heard of during the classes have been explained in a very easy and digestible English. I would recommend it to anyone who’d like to deepen their knowledge in the yoga philosophy

[Sol Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang, y’all. What a stirring book. I thought that I was getting a translation of “The Upanishads,” as Easwaran is supposed to have an excellent one (and I just finished reading his translation and analysis of the Bhagavad Gita), but this is not that. This book is much more like what you would get if a great teacher was not doing a word-for-word translation, but instead gave a culturally relevant transposition of the Upanishads. Using the original text, his own experience, and wisdom from his practice, Easwaran brings the lessons of the oldest religious texts into sharp and applicable focus.

In college, I had an excellent World Religion Professor. He lectured very, very well, and always from the seat of a true believer of whatever religion was being discussed that unit. Our first one was Hinduism. In reading about it, and then in listening to him, I remember thinking, “Well, so there IS one perfect religious tradition in this world!” However, when we moved on to Buddhism, I was like, “Well then, I was quite wrong about that antiquated old ideology last week, The Buddha got it right!” And so on (until, of course, you hit Taoism and realize that it may be as good as it gets but that even that takes you further out—etc, etc). My point is that since that time about 22 years ago, I haven’t thought a lot about Hinduism. While Easwaran would probably not identify as Hindu, being clearly adept at religious thought and instruction through all framing (which is, after all, truly in the spirit of how Hinduism swallows other religions whole as their own), this is a delightful return to that freedom of thinking that Hinduism does so well in its unshackling of selfhood. If you know what I mean, you totally know what I mean; if not, this book is an absolute requirement for understanding the firm world that lies somewhere beneath this changing one.

[Sharath · Rating 1 out of 5]

Through the course of this book I was hoping to grasp a brief understanding of Upanishad's intentions. However to my disappointment I found the book to be more intended to portray opinions on ways for modern man to deals with societal problems rather provide an objective commentary on the parent title it leverages.

One of the infuriating aspects of self help books such as these is the intention to dictate solutions to problems as opposed to facilitating the readers to develop solutions with the help of it's content. Enabling the ability to self realize and solve problems thus paving way for growth should be the true intentions of such books in my opinions.

The misinterpretation on what the book offered was perhaps a mistake on my part but the preachy nature of its content (or atleast the beginning 20% I went through) is unacceptable for me as a reader.